No abstract
This chapter looks at Statistics Canada and the academic literature to present some stylized facts and figures regarding urban older adults and a synthesis of the challenges and opportunities of aging in urban environments. It provides a snapshot of Canadian urban demographic trends and an overview of the state-of-the-art thinking on urban aging. It also describes Canada as a predominant nation of rural spaces as urban locations occupy only 0.25 percent of Canada's 9.9 million square kilometres. The chapter focuses on the three largest metropolitan areas: Toronto, Montréal, and Vancouver, which are home to more than a third of all Canadians with a combined population of 12.5 million. It refers to urban Canada, which evokes the images of being big, bustling conurbations with dense downtowns, skyscrapers, and expensive housing.
This chapter talks about Canada's built environment and population growth that predominantly occurs on the urban fringe. It describes Canada as a suburban nation and its largest metropolitan areas, which include Vancouver, Montréal, and Toronto with the suburban residents that exceed 80 percent. It also distinguishes traditional forms of suburban locations that can be characterized by a variety of factors, such as the proportion of single-family housing, car-commuting patterns, population density, and home-ownership rates. The chapter recognizes that the modern suburban landscape is complex and diverse and that there is no single perfect operational definition of suburban. It examines suburban Canada's population that is relatively heterogeneous, compared to rural locations, but is still significantly less diverse than urban Canada.
This chapter provides a snapshot of Canadian rural demographic trends, an overview of the state-of-the-art thinking on rural aging, and contextual framing for in-depth research. It cites key debates on rural aging in relation to the built-environment and the extent to which it disserves the older population. It also talks about the limitations associated with lack of funding, service availability, and geographical isolation in rural environments. The chapter highlights the importance of service accessibility, particularly to the almost quarter of a million low-income, older-adult rural residents. It summarizes the existing research on aging in Canadian rural communities and further unpacks the challenges and benefits of rural aging.
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